Security Centre

Introduction

Playing RuneScape can be great fun. You get to meet lots of new and interesting people, and some say it can even be educational. And the internet is a wonderful tool that can help you learn about all kinds of things, and explore subjects like never before. But did you know that there are hidden dangers you must watch out for? We all know that using the internet is almost like letting people we don't know enter our homes, and that we must all be careful about how we use the Net. But in addition to the usual internet dangers, RuneScape has its own hidden traps that you must be aware of before you start playing. Traps? Like what? Well, scammers will stop at nothing to get your RuneScape username and password. Why? So they can empty your character's bank. Stupid, we know, but it happens everyday. There are also some dishonest players that will try to trick you into giving up valuable items and such. No, they won't steal your password, but they are scammers too. You can have fun whilst playing, but you also need to be vigilant and pay attention to what's happening around you -- if you don't, you may get scammed or tricked into losing some valuable item(s).

This guide has been divided into three separate sections, which cover:

Staying Safe in RuneScape

The information in this section will help you recognize and avoid the most common RuneScape scams. You will also learn all about protecting your RuneScape account.

Staying Safe on the Internet

This section provides general information on how to stay safe while surfing the internet. Internet surfing can open a whole world of possibilities for you. You can learn about different cultures, meet new people and make new friends. But the internet can also expose you to many dangers. Learn about how to stay safe in this section.

Keeping your Computer Safe

Your computer is always at risk while you're on the internet. There are worms, viruses, trojans, keylogger programs, the list of potential dangers goes on. You have to be viligant about which sites you visit, and you must know what software you need to protect your computer. Learn what you should be doing to protect yourself in this section.

RuneScape Safety

General Information
RuneScape and Jagex have a commitment to safety. They are constantly trying to improve their security and as a result they currently have Password Protected Accounts as well as a Bank PIN (Personal Identification Number) and Recovery Questions.
It is in your best interests to have both a PIN and Recovery Questions, although neither is mandatory to play the game. To set your PIN go and talk to a banker in one of the many banks located around the RuneScape world. To set your recovery questions you need to log in to the secure section of www.runescape.com and click the set recovery questions button.

Jagex will NEVER send you ANY emails - EVER! Jagex will contact you through the message centre system on their website. Jagex will never ask you for your password. Ever. Not in an e-mail (and they don't even send e-mails, remember that!), not in-game. Even if you're contacted in-game by someone *claiming* to be a mod or Jagex Staff and they ask you for your password, do NOT give it to them. Ever! Even if they tell you that you will be banned or your account will be cancelled. Also, you should never click on a link in an email that *looks* like it's from Jagex. Remember, Jagex does not send e-mails! Ever!

Just because an email says it's from andrew@jagex.com or cutomerservice@jagex.com or something similar, does not mean it's actually from anyone who has anything to do with Jagex at all. Unfortunately, there are methods whereby users can pretend to be people they are not. This is known as "spoofing." Spoofers send e-mails to RuneScape players hoping to get you to go to a counterfeit RuneScape website. These sites are designed to trick you into giving out your RuneScape username and password. Some of these phoney sites can even have Trojan keylogger spyware hidden inside it. So even if you don't type in your password, you may have infected your computer with a keylogger just by accessing the counterfeit site. The keylogger will record your username and password the next time you log onto RuneScape and the next thing you know, you've been hacked. So what should you do if you get an e-mail from "Jagex"? DELETE IT!!!

Take a minute to think about how and when you use your password. The ONLY time you should use your RuneScape password is on the official RuneScape site. Nowhere else. Period. Never enter your password or recovery-questions into ANY website other than www.runescape.com or www.runescape.co.uk. And you should really have a separate password for any fansites you use, including RuneTips. Your RuneScape password should be different than all your other passwords, and should be used ONLY for RuneScape.

There are many RuneScape "fan sites" out there with only one intention in mind: to steal your password. Most players using a forum will either use their RuneScape username for their account name, or reveal it at some point on the forums. Just about anybody can set up a forum, and even make it look legitimate, but that doesn’t mean that it is safe to use the same password as you do for RuneScape.

Large legitimate fan sites, such as RuneTips, are often targets for people trying to find ways to steal passwords. Even if you feel 100% confident that a fan site is honest and safe, that does not keep you safe from whatever low-lifes may be targetting it. If by chance the fansite's password database is stolen, or even just a single user’s password is guessed and your RuneScape password is the same as your forum password, you are an easy target. So be safe. Make your RuneScape password unique. Do not use it anywhere else. And while you're at it, set your bank pin and put anything valuable in the bank when you log out.

Lastly, lots of people we know access the internet from computers other than their own. If you're playing RuneScape at a friend's house, Internet Cafe or library, you must take extra precautions to safeguard your RuneScape name and password. First, make sure nobody is standing behind you watching you log on! This is more common than you would know. And while you're playing, never leave your computer unattended while you are logged in. Always log off properly before you leave, even if it's only for a minute. Finally, know the risks. Sharing a computer is a great convenience, but you MUST be careful.

Jagex has added a filter system into the game which will not let you type out your exact password into the textbox. If you try to type out your password into the chatbox, your entire sentence will not be displayed and a message warning you that your password was entered into the chatbox will instead be shown. Some players may claim that this system doesn't work and tell you to try it out. DO NOT test it out! If you happen to misspell your password it will be displayed, and the scammer may be able to work out from the mistake what your actual password is. Having your password as a random combination of letters and numbers (which you will remember!) would be a wise idea.

Trade Scams

Player #1 is buying a rune platebody. Player #2 accepts to trade and puts up a rune platebody in the trade window. Player #1 then puts up 80,000 gp. Both players hit accept, but Player #1 doesn't bother looking at the second trade window -- he's in a rush to get the trade finished. Both players accept immediately, and then complete their trading. Player #1 looks in his inventory only to see an adamant platebody. "Hey! Where's the rune platebody I just bought???" he thinks to himself. He looks up to find Player #2, but of course, he's long gone. Player #1 was just scammed. This is the most common scam in all of RuneScape. You can avoid becoming a victim by simply being patient and looking at the trade window. When you trade another player, a trade window will pop up. In this window, both players put up the item(s) to be traded. When both players click the accept button, a second trade window appears. In this window, you can see what is being traded, in WORDS (for example, rune platebody X 1). READ WHAT IT SAYS IN THIS WINDOW! This is your last chance to see if you're about to be scammed. If the item being offered is NOT what you bargained for, just click "Decline" and walk away. No harm done.

Gem Cutting

While doing business at any of the banks throughout RuneScape, you might notice players offering to cut other players' gems for free. While some honest players may cut gems for free to increase their crafting skill experience, many players are thieves who will run, teleport or log out the moment you hand over your gem(s). So unless a player offers to trade an already cut gem for your uncut gem, don't give your gems to anyone to be cut. We recommend that you raise your crafting skill levels and cut your own gems.

Wilderness Scam

You may receive a private message from another player saying that he/she would like to sell you something rare at an ubelievably low price. The problem? The seller wants you to meet him/her in Edgeville, right at the edge of the Wilderness. When you get there, you unknowingly step over the Wilderness boundary with all your money. You are then attacked by the "seller" or one of his/her friends. It is very simple to avoid this scam. First, do not trade in or around the wilderness or near Edgeville, and second, pay attention to what you're doing. When you're about to cross the ditch into the Wilderness, you'll get a warning message. If you ignore the message and keep walking, you're on your own. Don't say we didn't warn you! The addition of the Wilderness Ditch has made this scam much harder - requiring you to click it to cross into the Wilderness.

The Trust Test

Some dishonest players will ask you to prove how much you trust them before you can join a clan, group or receive some free item. You will usually be asked to give the other player some small item and then you will get it back. This is done to prove your trust. This scam always starts with a small item, then moves on to larger more expensive items. When the scammer gets you to trust him, that's when he pounces. Believe us, the last item you will ever offer him will be very expensive -- you won't get it back. You should never take part in any type of trust test. It will almost always result in you losing one or more valuable items. Never give another player an item that you are not willing to lose.

Rare Items

"Selling extremely rare swamp paste! Amaze your friends! Buy here!" Ever see something like that in a crowded marketplace? Honest players that are selling a truly rare item don't usually scream out that it's rare, they don't have to. The item speaks for itself. Before you buy ANYTHING a player claims is one-of-a-kind or rare, do your research. You'll probably find that it's not rare at all and that the player is lying. You can check our Rare Items Guide, or you can post an item to one of our forums. You should only buy a rare item if you know that it's rare -- santa hats and party hats are examples of true "rare" items. Being informed is your best defense.

German Servers

With the addition of the German specific servers, a new scam also became apparent. Sometimes players will offer to sell an expensive item for a lower price, but only if you come to their world. They will then say they are on a German server and tell you to log into it. When you meet them for the trade they will put up what appears to be the correct item, but, unless you know German, it may not actually be what it seems. For example, they could put up oak logs instead of yew logs and you would be none the wiser until you log back into an English server and by that time the scammer will be long gone. The easiest way to avoid this scam is to either not trade in German worlds unless your familiar with the language (know the difference between Eiche loggt and Eibe loggt?), or have a free translator handy.

Safety on the Internet

Personal safety
Even though you might think that this is a boring thing to read about, it is actually of greater importance than anything else in this guide. While you may think that you're completely safe to do and say whatever you want online it's always better to be safe than sorry! Back in 1998, two individuals were so concerned with the amount of information kids and young people give out to total strangers while chatting, they decided to try a little experiment. How hard would it be to figure out someone's name and exact location just by asking simple questions? Turns out it isn't very hard at all. Before you go any further, please take a moment to read It Could Happen to You. It just could save your life.

Did you learn anything? Good. Now when you're surfing the net, playing RuneScape or chatting with your on-line "friends", just follow these simple guidelines and you can enjoy the internet to its full potential. We here at Tip.it want you, your family and your friends to have the best possible experience online.

Do not ever tell your real life name to anyone on the internet. People can easily seem more trustworthy than they really are!

Do not tell anyone where you live. You can give broad information such as what country you are from but going further is a no-no.

Leave people who you are not comfortable with alone! There is no reason why you should talk with someone who you don't want to talk to. If a person keeps irritating you, you have several ways of blocking them, both in RuneScape and on instant message programs like MSN, AIM or ICQ. Don't be afraid to block a person.

Don't be afraid to contact the authorities if you have suspicions about a person, or if you have given your contact details to someone and regret it. This can range from contacting Jagex, Tip.it staff, the administrator of any chat rooms you use, or your local police. Additionally, you should always tell your parents if you are not comfortable with something or somebody, telling an adult is always a good thing to do.

Meeting people in real life that you have met on the internet should be approached with extreme caution. RuneScape is an online game, there is no need whatsoever to meet anybody in real life, however, should you desire to do so, you should consult your parents first. Make sure they accompany you to the first meetings and make sure you meet in a public place (not at your house). If the person isn't someone you would like to meet with again, it's better if he/she does not know where you live.

Computer Safety

Keeping your Computer Safe
Your computer needs to be safe as well! If you do not take correct precautions, 'hackers' may be able to gain access to your RuneScape account, or your entire computer, including internet bank accounts and credit card details.

Always make sure you have an updated antivirus program, a firewall and a spyware agent.

Always keep your operating system up to date.

Don't tell your password to anybody! Not even your best friend in real life. Make sure your password is not easy to guess, and do not use the same password for more than one site.

Don't download programs you don't trust. If a site looks unsafe, don't continue browsing that site, and don't download anything from it. Get the program you want from some other site.

Don't go to internet addresses (url) you don't know. If a person in game all of a sudden contacts you and tells you to go to a specific internet address, don't do it! If you're using an unpatched browser, the website you've just been told to visit could end up installing malicious programs (such as keyloggers or trojans) on your computer.

Don't enter your password anywhere else than the official RuneScape site! Some fan sites offer you so-called "toolkits" which, apart from being against Jagex rules, require you to type in your RuneScape password. Using these may give your RuneScape name and password to another player, and they could steal your items!

Don't ever click on any e-mail attachements ending with an .exe, .vbs, .bat or .hta file extension. These are all executable files, and clicking on them may cause a malicious program to open and install itself on your computer.

If you follow these 7 rules you should be safe. Well OK, at least you'll be 99% safer than other players!

Software Recommendations
Here is a list of highly recommended software programs that will help keep you and your computer safe. Some are free, some are not. But remember, price has nothing to do with effectiveness. Some free programs are actually better and more efficient than expensive ones. But all the programs in this list are recommended by RuneTips:

Antivirus programs: You should always run one of these, update it and scan twice weekly. You should also configure it to scan all incoming email.

Norton Antivirus - One of the best antivirus programs on the web. It will cost you some money, but it's the best quality and is well worth it.

Zone Alarm - ZA is a really good firewall, and the interface is clean and easy to use. You can get both a free version and a paid for version of ZA.

Spyware Agents: Many websites and programs that you may have used actually spy on you! As well as being a serious privacy concern, these programs slow down your computer. You should update and scan with a Spyware agent every two days if you can!

Ad-aware - One of the most important programs on your computer! This is a must have if you are browsing websites actively. This program will scan for and remove all unwanted programs, trackers, keyloggers and cookies.

Spybot, Search & Destroy - This program does basically the same as Ad-aware, although it's slightly more powerful. However, it lacks the easy to use interface of ad-aware. It's definitely a must have.

Disclaimer: The programs mentioned above are not by Tip.it, and we cannot guarantee security when using these. However, if you follow the program guides (help files), use your common sense, and think before you act, you should be safe. Tip.it cannot be held responsible for any problems you may have experienced with these programs, and we do not guarantee that you won't be key logged, scammed or banned.